The day to day living of a family on a rural Montana hobby farm, stories of goats, piglets, sourdough bread making, cheese making, soap making and the general raising of two little girls, their three older adult siblings, and the loving of our 10 grandkids. The story of a 36 year marriage with it's ups and downs. We worship God with reverence and are truly blessed for being his beloved children.

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Friday, September 13, 2013

Old enough to decide for themselves.... comes in steps.

I think the term accountability often is relative. I know that since the Bible never says this is the age when this happens, that it is something that God left to us to decide. I also know that the Bible never speaks of dating or courting so I think that that is something else God left to us to determine for ourselves or our children. I do believe the that God gave us free will, he knows what we will ultimately choose about any and ever decision in our lives but he gave us the free will to make the choice. No, that is not predestination that is an example of omnipotence, part of the unlimited power of God. Predestination is the predetermining of what some one will do not the act of seeing what they will do and knowing it ahead of time. God knows who will ultimately be saved but he does not make that decision for us.

Accountability when does it comes to a child. Having said the Bible doesn't tell us that but it does give us some guidelines I believe. Jesus stayed in the temple as his folks journeyed home and when they had to return to retrieve him they asked him why he had done this to them? Jesus replied, "I must be about my fathers business", undoubtedly he was of accountable age, he knew that he must be about doing the work of salvation. I don't believe that Jesus ever didn't believe God so he didn't have to have a moment of salvation in his heart but he did have a time when he was to spread the Word of God his father. I think that the Bible may give many passages about accountability but I can only speak on the ones that have spoken to my heart. I believe that when the Israelites were in the wilderness and sinned, God gives us an age of accountability as a determining factor of who would and who would not see the promised land. He made them to wonder in the wilderness until all who were over the age of 20 died and only those who had not been accountable for the sins the Israelites had committed were allowed to enter the promised land, all but two who had not sin. So in my own belief accountability to the Lord, for most children (there are always exceptions), is between 12 and 20. I believe you have to understand that you are a sinner and unworthy of the Lord's salvation before you can believe and asked God for it. I personally don't think that salvation can come to one who does not know that they are an unworthy sinner, and most children can't wrap their minds around the reality of death little own the reality of salvation. Just saying.

I do believe that accountability for lives lessons come at many different ages and long before the accountability of salvation. I think that a child leans to be accountable for how hard the floor is and how not to hit it while learning to crawl, they learn not to bite soon after they have teeth or they will be accountable for their biting. They learn ??..... and the list goes on, each rule of accountability to the daily reality of this life comes as it is needed in a nearly straight forward manner. As teens the lesson come ever faster and the scope of their decision ever widens and the consequences become more and more harsh, and a reality in their lives. I think maybe that is also why the accountability of salvation begins to fall in this time frame, they are near who they will be but there is still time to make greater adjustments to the paths of their lives. The teen is much more pliable than the 20, 30, 40, 50 and on somethings, the teen who is just stepping into his adult being is so much less set in ways of good or bad.

I know not where you are in your life, you know not where I am in my life, well not more than I tell you and you only have my word on it if I do, so in the end you only know where you stand in this life with God and really know one else. Is your life in God's hands, are you accountable for you life's choices, have you made a choice for God or are you one of the ones he knows will never quite answer his call, does he sorrow for your loss? Or do you know that salvation is yours, if not you should..... tomorrow.